


The Scars We Carry

by JadeJem



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Bunnie - Freeform, F/M, King Cobra, Miraculous Ladybug - Freeform, Natalie Guest OC, OC Story, Superheroes, miraculous - Freeform, miraculous oc
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-31
Updated: 2018-02-21
Packaged: 2019-03-11 22:58:51
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,339
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13534320
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JadeJem/pseuds/JadeJem
Summary: In which Natalie, 17-year-old normal college-going girl who’s also superhero Bunnie, and her partner King Cobra face off an opponent much quicker and stronger than most, leaving destruction and chaos in its wake.





	1. Picture Perfect

**Author's Note:**

> Project with Youtuber Natalie Guest! Please enjoy and be sure to check out her channel for the audio-drama of this.

Natalie is having a rough day. Okay, so that’s the understatement of the  _ century _ . 

First, she wakes up 20 minutes late (stupid alarm clock decided not to go off) and miraculously locks her house keys inside whilst her parents are already at work. If that isn’t bad enough, she then proceeds to attain a flat tire a mile away from school, tries to turn on her phone only to discover it hadn’t charged the previous night, so she can’t even call an auto-repair shop! The whipped cream on her sundae: she ends up having to transform behind a bloody  _ tree.  _

On top off her absolutely  _ outstanding _ morning, she had to leave her beloved red Volkswagen Beetle abandoned on the side of the road. 

_ My baby,  _ she laments internally, taking a steep jump from one rooftop to another. 

“How’s this for heroic?” she grumbles out loud, stopping in front of a particularly large gap and unclipping her whip from her side. “Late for school, left my breakfast on the counter, and now carless until further notice.” She cranks her arm back and swings it forward, successfully sending her whip soaring and latching on to a chimney on the far roof. With a bored sigh, she gives it a tug and flies effortlessly across the gap. 

Usually, Bunnie finds herself bouncing around, being goofy, and having a good time. Sometimes, she even whoops and does silly poses for the cameras when tourists or even news reporters catch wind of her appearance around the city of Warrington.

Today is not usually.

Usually is kissing her mother and father goodbye before they take off until the early morning. Usually is sitting down on her favorite barstool at the counter and shovelling a sugar cereal of some sort down her throat. Usually is lazily gathering her things together and cruising to school in her gorgeous little beetle, all the while blasting music and doing her makeup in the car mirror.

Usually is  _ not  _ running around like a mad woman trying to collect the shambles that have become her day. Or vice versa. One of those.

School-bag securely strapped around her torso, she lands on the roof of one of her school buildings, relieved to finally be here.

_ Maybe this terrible day is salvageable,  _ she ponders hopefully, slipping in through an open hall window. She exhales in relief when the corridor is empty and de-transforms in a shower of pink sparks.

Lilly comes spinning out of her Holder’s Miraculous, her giggles sounding like tinkling bells. 

“Don’t laugh!” Natalie whines, blowing a strand of hair out of her face and visibly sagging into a pout. “This day is bad enough as it is!”

Lilly shakes her head, violet eyes sparkling in amusement. “Oh, Natalie. It’s gonna be okay! But… aren’t we on the wrong side of the campus?”

Natalie’s head snaps up, and she glances around wildly. Her eyes fall upon the old, gold-plated sign reading  **‘** **_Language Arts_ ** . **_’_ **

“Crap!” Natalie yelps, slinging her bag firmly over her shoulder and motioning for Lilly to get in.

The Kwami does so, and with that, Natalie is taking off at a sprint down the long hallway, nearly barrelling over a trash can. Twice. 

The walls lined with locker upon locker feel endless as she rounds a corner that looks exactly like the last one. The only thing that’s really changing is the hall number. 

After what feels like decades (which are probably just a couple of minutes), Natalie slows to a stop in front of her least favorite hall. **_‘Mathematics’_** is written in stiff, bold letters on a rusted copper plate just below one of the many school bells lining the halls. Natalie shivers in slight disgust as she rounds the final corner and marches about halfway down the stretch. 

She stops in front of a door with yet another stiff label reading:  **‘** **_Mr. Harold_ ** . **_’_ ** With a deep breath (and a grumbling stomach), Natalie reaches for the door handle and tugs it down ever-so-slightly. The door creaks open softly, and Natalie squeezes in through the smallest gap she can make.

The whole class watches her, silent amusement painted across their faces. Natalie does her best not to blush under the attention and slips into her seat in the middle of the row closest to the entrance. She glances up to the front of the room to see Mister Harold still very much occupied with writing something on the board. 

A breath of relief escapes her mouth.  _ Safe! _

She really shouldn’t have spoken so soon.

“Hey, Nat!” an obnoxious voice chortles from somewhere to Natalie’s right. “Glad you could finally make it!”

Natalie whirls on the jerk who’d decided that today is going to be ‘Pick on Natalie Day.’ 

A pair of sharp blue eyes meet hers, and Caleb grins victoriously, his obnoxious little dimples making an appearance as he flips his dashing black hair and points to something behind Natalie. She throws a hard glare at the jock and slowly turns around, dread taking residence in her chest.

Mister Harold stares down at her, face wrinkling in disapproval. “You know the rules, Miss Guest,” he states, his bald head shining in the artificial lighting of the dim classroom. 

When she doesn’t move, his foot begins making rhythmic taps on dirt-spotted tiles. With a sigh, Natalie gives in and forces a smile. “Yes, Mister Harold.”

No further words are exchanged as Natalie begrudgingly picks up her bag and leaves the room. One dejected exhale is all that’s needed for Lilly to peek out from Natalie’s school-bag, a reassuring smile curling her lips. Natalie smiles back and scratches behind Lilly’s little ears. The bunny-themed Kwami makes a weird noise between a chirp and a purr that has Natalie giggling quietly.

“Oh, Lilly. You always know just what to do to cheer me up.”

Lilly nips Natalie’s finger playfully before nuzzling back into her bag.  

Feeling a bit lighter on her feet, Natalie resigns herself to making the trek to the main office a short one. Her footsteps echo eerily in foyer, vaguely reminding Natalie of how weird it is to be alone in the long, dingey halls of the school campus. 

The main office doors stand tall and brooding at the very front of the establishment. With a final gulp, Natalie forces herself to grab the door handle and pull it.

She’s never had to go to the office before. Natalie’s always been very good about getting places on time and staying out of trouble. Most of the time.

The wood and brass door is light under her touch as she steps through the doorway, almost eager to get this over with. Will this go on her record? She hopes not.

A stark woman with greying hair and a pointed face looks at her through small spectacles that make her eyes look smaller and more pinched. “Can I help you with something, dear?” she queries stiffly, raising an almost invisible eyebrow.

“Can I have a tardy slip, please?” Natalie asks tentatively, smiling in a way she hopes doesn’t appear as nervous as she feels. 

The woman gives her a pointed look that practically screams ‘delinquent’ and opens one of her desk drawers. Natalie shifts uncomfortably. The scrawling of the pen in the woman’s hand is quick and precise. 

“Name?”

“Natalie Guest,” Natalie responds timidly, chewing on her lower-lip and wringing her hands together.

The older woman extends her arm, the slip in her grasp. Natalie swipes it up and speedwalks out of there as quickly as possible.

“She must be a sad person,” Lilly chimes from Natalie’s bag, causing the girl the snort and slap a hand over her mouth.

Before she can say anything in response, an ear-splitting scream bounces off the walls, echoing obnoxiously. Natalie cringes at the sound, surprised by its severity.  _ Akuma!  _ her gut instinct cries. 

Akuma are far and few, mainly because the legendary Hawk Moth (or Le Papillion) is situated in France with Ladybug and Chat Noir. Bunnie and King Cobra (her partner) both received Miraculous at random one day with a small note explaining Hawk Moth’s tactic to ship akuma to other countries and try to spread them that way. The heroes had taken on the job of protecting the city with pride, mostly dealing with regular crime, but always being prepared for an akuma.

Well, almost always.

Today is really  _ not _ Natalie’s day.

“We need to find somewhere to transform!” Lilly whisper-shouts, ducking back into the sanctuary Natalie’s bag offers when students begin filing out of classrooms, all looking frightened. 

**“I am Vamp Queen, and I will destroy anyone who stands in my way of spreading Vampirism!”** a feminine voice booms, a menacing note lacing her tone.

Natalie sags. “Great.” Her eyes scan the hallway for any possible escape routes or nooks to transform in. “Ah!” she chirps successfully, spotting the door hiding behind a row of lockers. “The janitor’s closet! Perfect!”

Without a second thought, Natalie takes off towards the door, ready to leap into action. It’s been two months since her last decent akuma battle!

She jiggles the doorknob and yanks to the door open, prepared to fly in and transform. She stops mid-step, eyes widening.

“Kian?”

Her boyfriend spins around, arms going stiff at his sides as his face freezes in shock. “N-Natalie? What, uh—what are you doing here?” 

Natalie raises a concerned eyebrows, taking a hesitant step towards Kian. “I… I was looking for a place to —hide! Uh, yeah. Hide. What are  _ you _ doing here?”

Kian’s emerald eyes shoot away from hers, and he scratches the back of his head, ruffling his dark hair sheepishly. “H-hiding. Just like you.”

Something in the back of Natalie’s subconscious twitches.  _ Is he lying? No… he wouldn’t. _

A smile stretches her lips, and she rocks onto her heels before balancing on her tiptoes and planting a kiss on his cheek. Kian blushes and smiles softly before pecking her on the forehead gently.

“There’s not enough space in here for both of us,” Natalie sighs, wishing she could stay and wait the danger out with her boyfriend. Alas, there’s an akuma afoot, and she could never leave King Cobra to deal with it on his own. “I’ll go find somewhere else to hide.” And with that, she’s spinning on her heel and running away. 

Classrooms zip past, most occupied by terrified students. After what feels like ages, Natalie finally stumbles across a secluded biology lab. 

“I always knew there was a reason for me not completely hating biology,” she mutters, a small smile stretching her lips.

Lilly whirs out of her bag, violet eyes shining with determination. “Ready to go?”

“You bet!” Natalie cries excitedly.  **“Lilly, let’s bounce!”**

Lilly disappears into Natalie’s necklace, said jewelry now glowing a bright violet with activation. Natalie’s transformation swirls around her in an array of soft pink sparks, leaving Bunnie vibrant in Natalie’s wake. 

Bunnie giggles and leaps out of the classroom window, using her whip to carry her to the far side of the building; the courtyard. 

A teenage girl clad in all black leather with blazing red hair glimmers supernaturally under the soft rays of light peeking through the skylight overhead. Her eyes are almost as blood-red as her hair, and fangs poke out of her slightly opened mouth.

Bunnie tries not to startle at the sight of what looks to be like Stephenie Meyer’s  _ Twilight _ come to life. Vamp Queen zips around, biting every person in sight, but never staying long enough to actually drain them of blood. The thick liquid drips from the corners of her lips, and she grins manically.

“This one seems more violent than usual.”

Bunnie starts at the sudden presence beside her, exhaling in relief when she recognizes the boy to be her partner. 

“King!” she wines playfully, slapping his arm lightly and laughing. “Don’t sneak up on me like that!”

He almost smiles. Almost. “No time for fun and games, Bun. We need to take care of her quickly.” He nods at Vamp Queen, who’s now throwing the college’s  _ principal  _ aside.

Bunnie frowns in concern when the ‘Bitten’ all begin to stand, looking much more pale than they had prior to Vamp Queen’s bite. “Are they…?”

“She really  _ is  _ spreading Vampirism,” King Cobra hisses, surprise whirling in his spring-green eyes. “We have to stop her before something bad happens.”

“Agreed,” Bunnie chimes, allowing her giggly mood to slip as she slides into full-on superhero mode. “What’s the plan?”

King looks at her, a crooked sort of smile stretching his lips. “The ol’ one-two?”

An excited gleam takes residence in Bunnie’s eyes. “Let’s show Ladybug and Chat Noir how it’s done.”

The two take off in opposite directions, sprinting along the outskirts of the courtyard. 

“Come and get me, Bella!” Bunnie shouts obnoxiously, waving her arms frantically in the air to try and get the akuma’s attention.

Vamp Queen whirls on her, a murderous glint in her bright eyes of ruby. “Only per your request,  _ Bunnie.” _

Bunnie is already swinging away, aware of just how fast this akuma can move. She barely manages to get out of the way quick enough.

“Looks like I need to kick it up a notch,” Bunnie mutters, glancing behind her and jumping when Vamp Queen leaps into the air, swiping at her heels.

She barely sees King unlatching his silk tail and pulling a sword out from its depths on the ground below. 

_ Hurry up!  _ she yells with her eyes, managing to dodge yet another attack from Vamp Queen.

“You can’t escape forever, little rabbit,” Vamp Queen coos, her voice echoing off the walls of the large indoor courtyard void of any unbitten students. Those who have been Bitten just kind of stand in one place, turning more pale by the minute.

How long do Bunnie and King have before they turn into full-fledged vampires and join Vamp Queen’s attempts to take over their beloved city?


	2. Out of the Ordinary

Bunnie’s legs begin to ache with effort, and sweat dots her brow. A dodge here, an attempted attack there, and when she’s not careful, a powerful punch right to the gut. Those are her least favorite by far.

The superheroine’s hold on her whips loosens, and fear grips her as she begins to fall from the sky. Her arms are screaming at her to stop, but her mind persists, knowing better than to let Vamp Queen get anywhere near her.

_ If only I had a special power like Ladybug and Chat Noir! Or really any of the first level Miraculous,  _ she curses internally, breathing heavily and grunting as she pushes herself off of another ledge in the courtyard. 

“Getting tired, pet?” Vamp Queen purrs, her voice getting closer and farther on loop as she continues trying to attack from the ground—man, this akuma can jump high!

Bunnie grins. “You wish.” She manages to land a kick on Vamp Queen’s shoulder, and the akuma stumbles when she hits the ground. Bunnie takes this opportunity to land on the second floor balcony and catch her breath.

“Really tough akuma,” she huffs, breathing ragged as she massages a stitch in her side. “Honestly, this girl really isn’t tired?”

With a final deep breath, she approaches the balcony, ready to jump back into the hand to hand combat. She frowns when she notices King’s silver sword abandoned on the ground.

She frowns further when she realizes the courtyard is completely empty.

“Crap!”

Bunnie cracks her whips and latches on to a ledge across the room. She lands on the cement with a light  _ thud _ and peers around. The distant sound of grunting and laughing draws Bunnie to the far left corridor, and she stoops down to grab King’s sword before sprinting in that direction.

She’s alarmed to find drops of blood scattered haphazardly across the tiles of the long hall. 

“King?” she calls out, coming to a stand-still when the sounds of the fight stop all together.

Solo footsteps echo as someone comes dashing down the hallway. Bunnie presses herself against the line of lockers, ready to attack if the oncoming person isn’t her partner.

_ With all that blood left lying around, I wouldn’t be surprised if King was Bitten. _

Bunnie swallows at the daunting thought and shakes her head. She needs to have confidence in her partner. He knows what he’s doing.

Right?

And, sure enough, she jumps out from her hiding place and comes face to face with King Cobra.

“King!” she exclaims, placing her hands on his shoulders and giving him a once-over a couple of times to check for any possibly fatal injuries. “Are you okay?”

“Fine,” King states, stepping away from her worrisome hands. 

Bunnie frowns when she notices his hands are empty. “Where’s the akuma?”

A guilty look taints King’s solemn expression. “I… don’t give me that look! I destroyed the item. Vamp Queen is no more. The akuma, however…,” he trails off uncertainly, “I lost the akuma.”

“You  _ lost _ the akuma?” Bunnie hisses, disbelief coloring her low voice. “How the heck do you lose a glowing black and purple butterfly in broad daylight!” 

“I don’t know!” King responds with equal fervor. “I was a  _ little  _ busy dealing with the  _ vampire villain _ . One minute, the akuma was there, and the next, it wasn’t.” He shrugs, seeming deterred by such information. 

Bunnie’s demeanor softens, and she peers around him. “Is the girl okay?”

“Fine,” King states, crossing his arms. “A little too far into  _ Twilight _ , but fine. She was very confused, and I’m afraid the social network sites are going to find her and stalk her for a good story. I took her somewhere safe, and she’s going to bus home and pretend like she was never akumatized.”

A sad sigh escapes Bunnie’s mouth, and she turns away from King. “It’s not fair,” she says softly, fists clenching at her sides. “In Paris, it’s normal. Akumatized victims, I mean. Here, if someone gets akumatized, they get picked on by the media and the people around them. Remember that plant-themed akuma we dealt with last year? His family owned a flower business. People stopped buying their flowers from there after he was akumatized, and they went out of business.” Passionate tears well in her eyes. “It’s not fair. It’s not fair!”

Warm hands (albeit, gloved) grip her shoulders lightly and begin massaging small circles. Bunnie relaxes under King’s touch and exhales. “Thank you.”

“No problem,” King replies, pressing on one particularly stubborn knot. “Works with my girlfriend all the time.”

Bunnie pulls away awkwardly, remembering her own boyfriend locked safely in a janitor’s closet. “I’ve got to go. Are you sure you’re okay?”

King nods and waves her off. “Fine. Go.”

A smile stretches Bunnie’s lips, and she offers him a high five. King meets her half way, and Bunnie grins one last time before swinging off. 

***   *   ***

Natalie hadn’t found Kian when she’d returned to the closet. She’d even checked her phone to see if he had texted her (he usually does when it comes to akuma attacks because of how dangerous they are), but he hadn’t.

Even now, as Natalie stares down at her blank screen, nothing appears. It’s unnerving, to say the least. Is he okay? Was he Bitten and she just hadn’t seen him? Is he in some random part of the city, lost and confused? Does he know what’s going on?  _ Is he okay?  _

She takes her lower-lip between her teeth and gnaws on it, not even trying to tune back into the lesson happening around her. Usually, when akuma attacks happen, the administration office excuses everyone in the school district to go home. But for whatever reason, the district office had decided for the school board that this particular attack wasn’t worth sending everyone home over. 

The bell rings overhead, causing Natalie to jump. Seats skirt across the floor as the whole class stands up and begins moving around. She grabs her own bag and quickly makes her way out of the classroom. 

The halls buzz with excitement and gossip about the akuma attack that had taken place mere hours ago. Natalie allows herself to feel proud when she spots a large group of people all squishing in to watch a video of herself and King fighting off Vamp Queen. The group ‘ooh’s and ‘aww’s at every kick and dodge caught on video by an amateur vlogger who follows Bunnie and King Cobra around like they’re Gods. 

With a small smile, Natalie ducks into a hall bathroom and finds a vacant stall. She pulls out her phone and brings up the popular blog kept by journalist Jason Saiki. The page loads, and she clicks on the video at the top. 

Bunnie’s face takes up the screen in the near distance—yes, she remembers this. She had been catching her breath and thinking of a plan while King had been fighting off Vamp Queen, Just as much shows when the camera turns to catch the action between King Cobra and the akuma.

Natalie’s phone suddenly dings with a notification from The Ladyblog. She immediately clicks on it, very well-acquainted with Alya C è saire’s work as the girl running the well-known site. The app opens (a newly developed app created by the blogger herself!), and live feed of Ladybug and Chat Noir fills the screen. 

Ladybug shouts something in French, a witty smirk pulling on her features, and Natalie scrambles to turn on the English subtitles. Chat responds with fervor similar to her own, the subtitle at the bottom of her phone screen reading:  _ “All I’m hearing are praises, my lady!” _

Natalie coos at the exchange, watching with intrigue at how well the two work together to take down a funky-looking akuma wearing a bunch of mismatched clothing.  _ Flawless dynamic,  _ Natalie praises internally, watching in wonder as the two share a fist-bump before vaulting off.  _ They make dealing with akuma look like a breeze!  _

Still stricken, Natalie shuts her phone off and shoves it into her back pocket as she exits the bathroom. High-schoolers still linger in the hallways, all watching the older feed of the battle that went down between the English duo. Herself and King aren’t nearly as well known as Ladybug and Chat Noir (them having been the first Miraculous users to surface and face Hawk Moth’s akumas at the direct source), but they have gotten around. As have the American, Italian, Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, and other Holders. 

Natalie finds herself pondering about meeting these other Holders when she runs smack dab into someone’s open locker. She squeaks and holds her nose, muttering an apology before sidestepping them. An arm stops her, and she finds herself turning and staring at one if her closer friends. 

“Natalie,” Kaylee exclaims, dim blue eyes gleaming in recognition and something that causes Natalie to frown. “Girl, where have you been? Kian has been freaking out trying to find you.”

“Really?” Natalie queries, concern squeezing her heart. “I’ve been looking for  _ him!” _

Kaylee winces, eyes shining. “Well, he’s waiting with everyone else in the courtyard… You’ll see when you get there. I”—Kaylee swallows, and the grimace falls off of her face—“I couldn’t stay there. I-it was too much for me to handle.” Tears well in her eyes, causing the blue in them to pop out. She sniffles, and Natalie places a hand on her shoulder.

“Kaylee? What’s wrong?”

Kaylee shakes her head and begins to cry. “Y-you have t-to go s-see. It’s ho-horrible, N-Nat.” 

Natalie chews on the inside of her cheek, fear for her close friend’s well-being keeping her glued in place. “I can’t leave you like this! Just tell me what happened.”

Kaylee shakes her head again and gently pushes Natalie in the direction of the courtyard. “G-go.”  

With one final look of uncertainty and worry, Natalie spins on her heel and takes off.

Before she knows it, she’s approaching a gigantic group of high-schoolers all crowding the courtyard. She slows in her jog, a frown curving her brow. The crowd is chattering loudly, but everything Natalie hears sounds worrisome.

_ “…blood everywhere…” _

_ “…body found.” _

_ “…akuma really taken care of?” _

Natalie’s pulse races as she pushes to the front of the mass. Bright yellow police tape lines a small corner of the courtyard. Men in dark suits with official-looking badges gripped in their hands are talking to scared-looking students and bending over… 

Natalie’s stomach flips, and the urge to throw-up consumes her.

There’s a body, just laying there; pale and spotted with drops of blood. Her brunette hair is splayed on the ground her and obscures her face from view, but her neck is exposed in the sunlight, leaving two clear puncture wounds, and a trail of blood streaming down the side of her neck. Her chest is just barely moving; probably stuttering in breath as she fights to stay alive.

News stations have cameras trained on the scene from every possible angle. The screaming wanes of an emergency vehicle fill the tight air around the frightened students, and men in uniforms come pushing through gaps in the crowd with a stretcher. 

**_“This is Mark Kapet here at the scene, do you copy?”_ ** one of the medical men ask, speaking into a microphone hooked onto his pants.  **_“Yeah, there’s a body. She’s not dead, but she will be if we don’t get her there ASAP. Over.”_ ** The harsh feedback of the walkie-talkie clicks back, and a muffled voice speaks urgently to the man, Mark.  **_“On our way now. Over,”_ ** Mark states, throwing a worried look at the girl being lifted onto the stretcher. 

Natalie watches with a heavy heart as the girl is whisked away towards the blaring sirens. Her eyes retrain themselves onto the scene, and that’s when she finally sees it.

Written in blood across the back wall of the courtyard is a message reading:

**_1st Victim: Vanessa Dane_ **

**_Who’s next?_ **

Only one word can seem to repeat itself in her head over and over again. 

_ Akuma. Akuma. Akuma. It’s still out there. _

**_It’s still out there._ **

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, loves! Finally finished the second chapter. Things are just starting to get interesting, so be sure to stay tuned and come back for more on the third update (which will hopefully be faster on my end).
> 
> Xoxo, J.


End file.
